Those things about atopic dermatitis
1. What is atopic dermatitis? Is it just affecting the skin?
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory skin disease. Patients are often accompanied by severe itching, which seriously affects the quality of life. Because the patients are often complicated with allergic rhinitis, asthma and other atopic diseases, it is considered to be a systemic disease.
2. What are the causes of atopic dermatitis?
The incidence of atopic dermatitis is closely related to genetic and environmental factors. Family members with a history of allergic disease are the biggest risk factors for this disease. Immune abnormalities, skin barrier dysfunction, environmental factors (climate change, lifestyle changes, improper bathing, infectious agents and allergens), and psychological factors (such as stress, anxiety, depression, etc.) are all involved in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis.
3. What are the typical clinical manifestations of atopic dermatitis? What special tests are needed?
The disease has a chronic course and a variety of clinical manifestations, the most basic features are dry skin, chronic eczema-like skin lesions and obvious pruritus. When the disease is clinically suspected, peripheral blood eosinophil count, serum total IgE, allergen specific IgE and patch test can be performed.
4. Should atopic dermatitis patients take a bath? Pay attention to which ones?
It is recommended that the bath temperature be 32 ℃ -37 ℃ and the bath time be 5-10 min. Hypoallergenic and non-irritating cleansers are recommended. If the skin is prone to infection, sodium hypochlorite can be added in the bath to inhibit bacterial activity and help alleviate the condition. The frequency of bathing should be once a day or every other day.
5. Got atopic dermatitis, must avoid food?
Studies have shown that atopic dermatitis is indeed related to food factors, but it is not necessarily related. Some of the common food allergens in children under 5 years old are milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts and soy. The most common food allergens in children over 5 years old were nuts, shells and fish. Food allergies are rare in adolescents and adults. If the causal relationship between food and rash is clear, it is recommended to avoid food for 4-6 weeks. Unless the causal relationship between food and rash is clear, blind avoidance is not recommended, and excessive avoidance can lead to malnutrition.
6. Atopic dermatitis is so stubborn, is there no way to cure it?
Atopic dermatitis does not have specific treatment to guarantee a radical cure, but through standardized treatment, most of the ideal treatment goals can be achieved. Among them, mild patients can do basic moisturizing care according to the skin lesions and parts, and choose symptomatic treatment with external drugs. Moderate and severe patients can go to regular hospitals for standardized treatment, and the application of immunosuppressants or biologics and small molecule drugs on the basis of external drugs will be effective treatment.
Contributed by: Zhou Junfeng Deputy Chief physician, the First Hospital of Jilin University
Reviewer: Li Shanshan, Chief physician, The First Hospital of Jilin University
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